Previews

Ghostbusters: The Video Game

Red Fly's take on the famous license puts its own unique twist on style and gameplay.

Spiffy:

Wii version utilizes simplified gesture-based controls that should give it some ease of play; cool cartoon design.

Iffy:

The kid-friendly look might put off some; no hands-on with it yet.

Ever since Slovenian dev house ZootFly's unauthorized Gears of War-style tech demo of a "Ghostbusters" game made the YouTube rounds in early 2007, gamers have clamored for a new chance to get slimed. Enter Red Fly, a newcomer on the development scene. We got a look at Ghostbusters: The Video Game on Xbox 360 and PS3 a few months back, but got our first glimpse at the Wii's rendition recently.

It's Manhattan circa 1991, and as the fifth Ghostbuster, you're a rookie recruit who's joining the paranormal pest-control troop. The demo sends the unnamed rookie, Ray Stantz, Egon Spengler, and Winston Zeddmore into the Hotel Sedgwick to investigate some spectral disturbances. Like Terminal Reality's version for HD consoles, Red Fly is trying to nail down a simple concept for Ghostbusters: every minute or so, something fun, funny, or scary is happening. If the writing is as sharp as it was in both demos, they should have the "funny" section sorted out easily.

Aside from controls, the first noticeable difference (besides controls) between the HD versions of Ghostbusters and the less fancy ones lies within the art design. The 360 and PS3 games are aiming for a "T" rating, but this game and the PS2 versions are targeting a more kid-friendly "E10+." As a result, ghost encounters are a little less aggressive, and the art design resembles a cartoon. As a Wii/PS2-exclusive perk, you can create a male or female Ghostbuster.

This version of Ghostbusters touts a different arsenal. It's missing the slime tether and Meson Collider Beam (think of a sniper rifle for ghosts) of the other game, but it's got its own unique weaponry, like a slime gun that combats nefarious black ectoplasm, which is impervious to proton beams.

It appears that the Wii Remote functions as a mouse, and a button on the Nunchuk reins the camera in a bit as needed. The idea, Red Fly explained, is that gameplay should be simple, and many of the gameplay gestures are rooted in the movements in the movies. For example, throwing out a containment trap is as simple as making the same motion as the Ghostbusters. Firing the proton pack seems to be as easy as pointing and firing. Even trapping is simpler than on 360/PS3. There's no need for a capture beam; instead, tossing a trap at the ghost should be enough to contain it.